Candon Westervelt, 9, of Lockwood, had half of his brain removed in April. On May 3, he was able to hold himself up and throw a bean bag at a target.

Written by

Jennifer Kingsley

This week, Candon Westervelt did two things that most kids his age take for granted. He walked without assistance and he rode a bicycle.

Candon, 9, had the right side of his brain removed April 25 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to treat Ramussen's encephalitis, a rare neurological disease he's had for about two years.

Candon suffered as many as 90 seizures a month, some of them lasting as long as 50 minutes. A complete hemispherectomy, the removal of one half of the brain, is the only option known to control the disease. ...